<ul><li>NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) has helped scientists uncover the mystery behind how X-rays are generated in powerful jets from supermassive black holes, specifically focusing on a blazar called BL Lacertae (BL Lac).</li><li>The study revealed that X-rays in these jets are produced by electrons through Compton Scattering, not protons, as scientists previously debated, and the X-rays showed low polarization compared to optical polarization.</li><li>IXPE, launched in December 2021, collaborated with radio and optical telescopes to observe BL Lac, leading to groundbreaking findings that shed light on the mechanisms of X-ray generation in extreme environments.</li><li>The discovery not only solved a longstanding mystery about supermassive black hole jets but also highlighted the importance of IXPE in challenging scientific assumptions and exploring new possibilities in the study of blazars.</li></ul>

NASA peers into a blazar’s heart and solves a 30-year-old mystery

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